Wire drawing machine



Sept. 4, 1945. B BLETSO 2,384,275

WIRE DRAWING MACHINE Filed May 51, 1943 IN VEN TOR.

59066" 71/ 515750, OZOQ/ 6 Patented Sept. 4, i945 STATES Er Fries WIRE DRAWING MACHINE Application May 31, 1943, Serial No. 489,217 1 Claim. (01. 205- 16) This invention relates to wire drawing machines and is particularly concerned with the single-spindle type having a bench mounting a die box and a vertical spindle with a bundle guard along with the block, all on .top of the bench. The object is to enhance the safety and convenience of the operator of such a machine, particularly when a number of the machines are operated in a group.

A specific example of the invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawing in which: Figure 1 is a wire drawing mill layout; and

Figure 2 is a detail from Figure 1.

More specifically, the drawing shows a machine, of the type with which the invention is particularly concerned, with an arrangement cha acterized by having the block motor I and wire bundle guard 2 on one side of the bench 3, with the die box 6 and unguarded side of the block 5 on the opposite side of the bench so the operator can work on the latter side without interference by the motor I and guard 2. The guard 2 is entirely free, or open, from, or towards, the block and of the bench and the operators side of the bench, both, so'the operator can remove wire bundles without walking around the machine or crossing the stock feeding to the die box. 5

The advantages of the new arrangement become apparent from studying the layout of Figure 1. Here a plurality of the machines are arranged side-by-side in alignment with their block end similarly arranged and with a wire pointer 6 adjacent the operator's side of each machine, and an overhead traveling bundle crane 1 arranged to work transversely over the block ends of all the machines. The layout also includes a means 8, in the form of three-arm flipper reels, for feeding stock to each machine from locations beyond their other ends from their block ends. A bundle-buggy runway 9 traverses closely beyond the block ends of all the machines, and the machines are laterally spaced sufllciently to afford room for the operator of each machine.

With this layout of machines, each with the described arrangement, the necessary movement of the operator is confined to the space marked 0 in the layout drawing. He can take the end of a new piece of stock, point it conveniently in the pointer, turn around and thread it through the die in the die box 4 and then fasten it to the wire drawing block 5, all without leaving the immediate vicinity of the operators side of the machine. When it is time to remove a wire bundle from the block 5, the operator does not have to circle completely around the machine or, alternatively, jump over the wire stock traveling from the means 8 to the die in the die box, as would be the case with all prior art arrangements. Instead, the operatorcan, with the aid of the overhead traveling crane l, unship the bundle from the block and movelit directly from the block end of the machine to the usual wire bundle buggy, indicated at it], working over the runway 9. Because of all this, the operator's efliciency and safety are enhanced.

I claim:

A wire drawing mill layout comprising a plurality of wire drawing machines of the type having a horizontal bench on top of which there is a vertical wire drawing block having a wire bundle guard and a die through which the wire is drawn by this block, and a motor for powering this block, each characterized by having the block motor and wire bundle-guard on one side of the bench with the die box and unguarded block side on the opposite side of the bench in alignment with each other and this side of the bench so the operator can work on this side without interference by the motor and the guard, the latter being free from the block end of the bench and the operator's side of the bench so the operator can remove wire bundles without walking around the machine or crossing the stock feeding to the die box, the machines being arranged side-by-si'de in alignment with their block ends similarly arranged and with a wire pointer adjacent the operator's side of each machine and an overhead traveling bundle crane arranged to work transversely over the block ends of all the machines, the layout also including means for feeding stock to each machine from locations beyond their other ends from their block ends, and a bundle-buggy runway traversing closely beyond the block ends of all the machines, the machines being laterally spaced sufficiently to afford room for the operator of each machine.

BRUCE N. BLETSO. 

